More organizations are creating space for people who have sensory issues like autism or sensory processing disorder. The Magik Theatre puts on family-friendly performances and is the latest to become sensory-certified by KultureCity, a nonprofit that works with venues to include sensory-friendly modifications.
The Magik Theatre’s artistic director, Anthony Runfola, said certification was the next step to creating space for people who need that space.
“A lot of venues in general are doing this throughout the country, and so we work with an organization called KultureCity, who helps us to train our staff on how to work with folks with sensory differences, and also provides us with best practices, and one of those is creating a space where folks can take a break from the show and kind of relax a little bit,” Runfola said.
The Magik Theatre’s quiet room features low lighting, bean bags, and comfortable sofas and chairs.
They have been working alongside KultureCity for a few years to make this happen.
“The quiet room is part of a bigger initiative that we have to make coming to Magik Theatre more welcoming for everyone, always," Runfola explained. "One of our values is belonging, and so we want audiences to feel that they can be themselves when they come to our space, that they can enjoy the show in whatever way they want to. ... So having these accommodations ready for folks is a big step, and the quiet room is a big step towards making that even more real."
The Magik Theatre performs during the weekends, and during the week, it offers special performances to schools visiting on field trips.
Among the features the theater has for people with sensory issues are special sensory performances.
“We keep the house lights on so it's safe to move around. We limit the attendance to about 100 people. We adjust the performance, so we lower the lighting levels. We take out or lower sound effects or things like that that might be startling. The actors perform in a more relaxed way, and so, this is great for folks who really want to maybe just try a show before they kind of commit to coming to one of the other performances. It's also great for parents we found with really young kids who want to bring their child to the theater for the first time,” Runfola said.
There’s also access to a Social Story Guide to information about the experience of attending Magik Theatre. These are available on the day of performance.
The Magik Theatre also has sensory bags that come with noise-cancelling headphones, fidget toys and weighted blankets for all performances. The bags are available for check-out at the box office doors, which are open one hour prior to curtain to help familiarize audiences with the spaces.
Runfola said the theater has received positive feedback from educators and parents.
“We've had teachers come who have gone in there with students who needed to take a break, and they were just so happy," he said. "Same thing with parents."
"Parents come up to me after our sensory friendly performances and … always thank us for making space for their young person to come. So it's been overwhelmingly positive,” Runfola added.
The quiet room opened for the theater’s current production of The Velveteen Rabbit, which runs through Dec. 29, at 420 South Alamo at Hemisfair.
The next sensory performances will be for the play Elephant and Piggie’s ‘We Are in a Play!’ on Feb. 15.
